


A Knife in the Dark

by caffeinatedCreep



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: 10 years later, AU, Alternate Universe, For Science!, Gen, Major Original Character(s), Oh yeah there's two nb characters!!!, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Male Character(s) - Freeform, Original Nonbinary Character(s) - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationships added as they develop, Separate From Main Cast and Plot, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-06 15:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15197420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caffeinatedCreep/pseuds/caffeinatedCreep
Summary: Harro Stellaris, formally known as the witch of owls, fled the coven when Medusa Gorgon began to flaunt her research into black blood. With two six-year-old children and a murdered husband, she knows they’re all in danger. Through strenuous begging and pleading, the Death Weapon-Meister Academy grants asylum to the Stellaris family. Now sixteen, Abaret and Jezz are meisters in Class Crescent Moon. Despite having to live under the cover of Soul Protect since birth, Abaret has been able to lead a normal life.Until she learns of black blood.All that it promises is too tempting to ignore, and she knows she has a willing test subject: her former-orphan weapon Rozaire Tartt. Managing her private research alongside team resonance with her least favourite classmate is the least of her problems, however. If the academy were to find out what she was doing -- even if there was no malicious intent -- they would surely rescind not only her asylum, but that of her mother and brother as well. And if she makes one wrong move, she could turn Rozaire into a kishin. It is a true balancing act.





	1. Essential BS That You Should Read First

Some quick, essential pieces of information!

\+ This isn't technically an AU, but rather a story that takes place 10 years after the Soul Eater manga ends  
\+ As is canon to SE, the Lord Death we all know is gone: Death the Kid is now in charge  
\+ Liz & Patty are in here somewhere too  
\+ Soul is a Death Scythe  
\+ Maka acts as a disciplinary counselor with Soul when there isn't much going on  
\+ Black Star & Tsubaki are p much the new Sid & Naigus  
\+ Stein is still teaching, somehow  
\+ Marie & Stein's kid may or may not make an appearance! (They'd be, like, 10 now)  
\+ _**Abaret is not going to be a repeat of Medusa!**_


	2. Anyone Can Betray Anyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of exposition and history unpacked for your reading pleasure.

This was never the story of my brother, no matter what they try to tell you. I love Jezz more than anything, but this story is mine and mine alone.

This is how my partner and I were arrested & released & arrested again. This is how Lord Death’s DWMA failed to keep its promise to my mother: how the DWMA failed me. But I’m not upset. Merely...Disappointed.

 

Jezz and Frei were always the focus. My no-name brother getting paired with one of Death City’s richest children was intriguing to my classmates and to the academy administration. Jezz was such an impulsive brat, but Frei could handle it all. They were a perfect pair, by all means.

Rozaire and I would never have stood a chance against them. He was an orphan: I was a witch in constant hiding. Our souls worked in perfect tandem, but I was forced to keep my soul covered. Our skills were hindered every step of the way.

They thought we were slow. But Roze and I were top of our class, practically speaking. No one knew because I was forced to hid. The academy forced me into silence.

But my frustration was never the cause for my behaviour either. Curiosity is a powerful and cruel motivator at times. When we began to study black blood in class, I couldn’t help my strong desire to know more. The tales of Medusa, and of Crona, and of Ragnarok, did nothing to curb it. Not even Asura’s resurrection could keep my interest at bay.

Jezz had warned me to stay far from that kind of research. But I could not steer clear from something that made me so intrigued.

“Professor Stein hasn’t told us the whole story,” he told me. “You should talk to Ms. Albarn & Death Scythe Soul before doing anything.” I knew he was right -- those two would be able to tell me everything -- but I also knew that they would attempt to dissuade me.

So I stubbornly pushed on.

 

Rozaire has been the most consistent part of my life.

Mother took him in when Jezz & I began meister training at Death Weapon-Meister Academy. Roze didn’t join us in our studies.

Jezz had an easy time making a match: he met Frei almost immediately and had a weapon within the first week of school. But I had yet to meet a weapon.

Until I found out Roze’s secret.

 

Jezz was so happy. We were so poor that no one paid him or I any mind...Except Frei. She was a Death City golden child: rich, smart, talented. An exquisite weapon, too: a navy and gold scythe. It had been predicted she would be the next Death Scythe from birth.

In short, Jezz had won the weapon partner lottery.

“Mother! Mother!” he called when we got home, one hand holding his bangs back from his eyes. “Guess what happened today!” I trailed behind him, frowning only slightly. Our mother came out from her room, dressed for work already.

“Yes Jezz? What exciting news do you have?” she asked with a smile. If she saw my frown, she didn’t react.

“Frei Heist is my weapon partner!” My brother’s voice was full of so much happiness, I couldn’t bear to bring him down. The way Mother’s eyes enlarged made my stomach twist into knots. I’d never be able to live up to something like that. When she turned to me, I screwed my eyes shut and smiled.

“And you, Abaret? Have you met your partner too, hun?” Mother asked, eyes kind.

“Not yet.” I must’ve let my smile slip because I heard her sigh. But then Roze had been listening, too. He hung in Mother’s bedroom doorjamb.

“A partner?” he breathed. I thought his hiding was rather immature -- he was fourteen! -- but he’d grown up on the streets.

Turning to him, I caught Roze’s eye and said, “A weapon partner to help me combat kishin.”

“A...Weapon?” His eyes wouldn’t meet mine: he was hiding something.

Jezz excitedly took Roze’s hand and told him all of the tales of the DWMA as Mother sat me down in the kitchen. She didn’t speak, simply took a seat beside me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

“You’ll be fine,” she told me eventually. I wanted to respond, but someone knocked on the door before I could.

It was Frei, looking to get to know Jezz. He left Roze and I at home, mildly apologetic, and Mother left for work shortly after. I had gone to Jezz and I’s room when Roze reached for my wrist.

“You need…” he began, unable to meet my eyes still, or even look at me really. “A weapon...Yes?” Curious to see where this would lead, I nodded. “Would a...Butterfly knife work?”

“A-- A butterfly knife? Why?” Originally, I thought he knew a weapon. Rather...He was a weapon.

“I’m not a registered student, but I could be...If you wanted me to be your partner.” Roze was such a hesitant soul back then. I still can’t quite believe how much he’s changed in three years.

His weapon form was simplistic but beautiful: he was entirely silver, rusted carefully on the handle as a decorative patina. Engraved within the blade was one word: “thief.” A butterfly knife looked small, but holding the blade in my hands felt right.

Rozaire and I were perfect partners. Destined.

Usually, the initial resonance of souls is a strain on the individual. But there was no pain or ache as Roze & I’s souls interacted. We both knew what it meant.

When Roze returned to his human form, he was grinning. I’d never noticed how dark his eyes were until I saw them glittering with stars. Overwhelmed with excitement, I threw my arms around him and squeezed tight.

“Thank you.” I was close to his ear, lips nearly on the shell of it, but I couldn’t bring myself to care in the moment. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He giggled breathlessly in my embrace, shaking his head.

“It’s a way I can pay you all back for taking me in.”

To think he felt guilty back then.

To think I thought we wouldn’t get screwed over by the DWMA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I'm going to be honest, this kinda fanfic is probably where I thrive: creating something in an already-established universe that I can actually take credit for. AUs can offer that feeling sometimes -- like the drag AU for FFVII, there's a lot with that that I can just fuck with because it's so separate from canon -- but this has so much more opportunity. I think it's more fun to think of alternate stories taking place in that universe than rewriting what's happened or shoving characters in. (I've done that, though, so I'm not shaming anybody.)
> 
> Also, shout out to Victoria Aveyard and her _Red Queen_ series for creating the iconic line that is the title of this first chapter!


	3. Constant Hiding is Exhausting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more exposition while we close in on the meat of the plot.

A year and a half passed: Roze changed immensely. From a shy and grateful orphan who kept silent in class, he became a self-assured and tireless brat. (In the best way, of course.)

Jezz and Frei flourished as well. My brother had played with toy scythes throughout our entire childhood -- living in the city centered around the academy, almost every kid did, whether or not they were going to become a student -- so learning how to wield the real thing came easily. Jezz was, and still is, an exceptional meister. Frei was also quite talented. They knew exactly how to work with each other. If the academy still made hunting ninety-nine kishins and one witch a requirement, Jezz would have made Frei into a Death Scythe ages ago.

But Roze and I were still better. That isn’t meant to be a read on my brother or Frei: it’s something that I became aware of after a few years at the academy. My witch abilities came in handy whenever I was able to afford to use them, which was rare, but even more so, Roze and I’s souls were more complementary to each other than theirs. For a reason I’ve still never uncovered, Roze has a soul wavelength similar to that of a witch. So, even though I had no clue on how to use a butterfly knife, the metaphysical part of what we were doing was a breeze. With a few side lessons from Sid and Naigus, my understanding of the physical aspect of wielding eventually caught up. Roze and I could’ve easily been top of our class if we’d been able to showcase all of what we’d learned.

But that was the least of my concerns, really. Being raised poos, Jezz and I were intimately familiar with thrifting. We lucked out later in life when we found that the way we liked to dress was easily accomplished through Death City’s thrift stores. That’s not to say that we’re exact twins, though. Jezz has always chosen to be modest and cover skin up: I liked the feeling of the sun on my skin and liked to display it. (Tastefully, mind you.)

Mother passed on her warm tan to both of us. None of our classmates had the same skin tone we did. I had always felt lucky: Jezz always felt like something was off.

Even as a child, I’d worn crop tops, but I’d never ventured into strapless territory. Closing in on fifteen as I was, though, I decided to take the leap, and the moment I did...Everyone noticed. Every inch of shoulder was bare. And while I’ve been lucky enough to not be harassed too much by my classmates, there were the few who felt the need to project their hormonal neediness onto me.

But they weren’t the only ones who stared.

Call me crazy, but it felt like whenever someone looked at me, their eyes transfixed on my shoulders. I never found a reason as to why that might be: I didn’t have any markings or tattoos to catch their attention.

So I gave the people what they seemed to be looking for: when I started to catch onto my affinity for crows in the weeks before my fifteenth birthday, I went out and got a cheap, sketchy tattoo of one on my tricep, stretching back and onto my shoulder blade. Jezz scolded my impulsivity, and Mother worried I would get an infection, but I was pleased with the outcome and made it out alive.

After that tattoo, I noticed that people started looking at me differently. I wasn’t the high school kid who liked to show a little skin: they were starting to see the witch inside of me, but they couldn’t pinpoint it that well. Instead of crawling back into hiding, I made a game out of it. I started to wear vaguely witchy makeup, I found odd jewelry, and I embraced the vibe that I supposedly was putting off.

One classmate of mine was especially skeptical, spitting question after question at me: “Why the dots beneath your eyes? Why the colour-block line on your lip? And why the angular body jewelry?” They could barely meet my eyes without glaring in suspicion. “You sure love to stand out, don’t you.”

“Oh, hun.” I’m far from being a true-blood Southerner, but when I’m feeling a little more sarcastic than usual, the drawl and vernacular likes to come through. “How else do I get y’all to pay attention to me outside of thinking my tattoo is weird?”

Jezz had grabbed my arm just then, fingers wrapped rather firmly around the muscle of my bicep. The sudden sensation of worn, cool leather on my skin snapped the Southern right out of me. This was a warning: I could feel his stare drilling into the back of my skull as well, unwavering and unsettling.

“Y’know what they used to say about Medusa, and Eruka, and the Mizunes, and Arachne, right? They loved to stand out too.”

Jezz’s grip tightened minutely. He was no longer warning just me: he was making it abundantly clear that they needed to shut up.

“What are you implying?” he asked through gritted teeth. “That Abaret is a witch?”

“All I’m saying is that she fits the profile,” they answered, raising their hands in a faux surrender.

I’d never known Jezz to be a needless fighter, but he was on them in a second. Roze, who’d been smart by ignoring the entire petty ordeal, jumped from his seat at the sound Jezz made. He was at my side in seconds.

Professor Stein barely glanced up from his notes, and he made no move to stop the fight.

Frei came running up from the other side of the room, yelling at Roze and I to help her pry Jezz off of them.

“Sehn, you are dead!” he snarled, pressing his elbow into their neck. Sehn’s meister approached quietly, joining Frei in the attempts at separating the two. Their partner was known to get into fights, and Frei knew Jezz wasn’t likely to back down. Just as he reeled his fist back to throw a punch, Sehn transformed into their weapon form -- a revolver -- and his knees hit the tile with a loud crack. “You bastard!”

“Jezz Stellaris, Sehn Fourgh, that is enough. We are not going to have a full-blown fight today.” Stein’s voice lacked any kind of concern or irritation: he’d seen this all too often when he’d taught Black Star. “Because I’m in no mood to discipline you and Lord Death is busy, I want you and your partners to report to Death Scythe Evans and Ms. Albarn.”

Sehn returned to human form, and their meister helped them to their feet. With no regards to Jezz, Frei, or me, they left the room like it had been any other fight.

Roze and I looked to each other: whether Jezz or Frei wanted us to go with them, we were going to be tagging along. When they turned to the door, resigned, I grabbed Roze’s wrist and tugged him with me after them.

“Ret, what--” Frei silenced Jezz with little more than a glance. Stein didn’t react to our leaving, either. We left the classroom in stunned silence.

 

No one got in trouble.

Sehn argued their innocence by claiming they were joking around, and that they hadn’t started the fight.

Jezz argued his innocence by claiming he was defending me, and that he was only trying to make a point.

With all of us present, there was enough backing to each side to show that both were justified in their reactions.

However, I realized that day just how precarious my family’s relationship with the DWMA really was. Suspicion that I was a witch was a serious threat to the academy: if it ever came down to it, they wouldn’t be able to side with me.

But I also realized how lucky I was: Jezz was willing to take the risk of suspension for me, and I knew Frei would stand with him. Roze’s loyalty, however, was the biggest shock. Despite all of his self-assurance, he’s by far the most undying loyal person I’ll ever know. He was ready from the moment we became partners to take the fall with me, regardless of what the situation was. And I knew that, someday, I’d be tempted to take advantage of that.

That was one thing Roze and I will always have over Jezz and Frei.

 

After that day, Sehn was less abrupt with their comments. They weren’t silent and fake, but they started to be more conscious of their words.

Oftentimes we would end up roasting each other back and forth until we would go too far and Stein would tell us to be quiet. As irritating as they were, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy my banter with them.

I got to know their meister too. Ziiro was like Sehn’s direct opposite. When I talked to them, we weren’t exchanging insult: we were talking about literature or something equally as domestic.

Jezz wasn’t found of my getting to know the weapon who, only weeks before, had been making dangerous implications about me. Roze got to know them along with me. And Frei said she was proud of me for pushing past everything. 

She still didn’t know about me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only reason there's an update so quickly is because I already had all of this written up so don't get your hopes up that I'll be as quick with the others.
> 
> Anyway, the D. Gray-Man soundtrack is making me cry, and this fic is probably gonna get messy real soon.
> 
> Love y'all. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Soul Eater was the first anime I got really into, and it still has a very special place in my heart. Back in junior high, a friend and I wanted to write something where Maka & Soul's son was the main character. The idea of writing something that takes place after the story is over has always been intriguing to me, and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to take that idea and apply it.


End file.
